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<h1><a href="https://archiveofourown.org/works/28266192">A summer mystery</a> by <a class='authorlink' href='https://archiveofourown.org/users/Nuredhel/pseuds/Nuredhel'>Nuredhel</a></h1>

<table class="full">

<tr><td><b>Category:</b></td><td>TOLKIEN J. R. R. - Works &amp; Related Fandoms</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Genre:</b></td><td>Beware of swearing, Cats, Gen, Humour, Mischief, Mystery, Nasty Language, Royalty, Some Swearing, Swearing like a Sailor, Thief, dwarven swearing, missing objects</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Language:</b></td><td>English</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Status:</b></td><td>Completed</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Published:</b></td><td>2020-12-23</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Updated:</b></td><td>2020-12-23</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Packaged:</b></td><td>2021-05-10 20:54:22</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Rating:</b></td><td>General Audiences</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Warnings:</b></td><td>No Archive Warnings Apply</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Chapters:</b></td><td>1</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Words:</b></td><td>3,205</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Publisher:</b></td><td>archiveofourown.org</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Story URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/works/28266192</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Author URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/users/Nuredhel/pseuds/Nuredhel</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Summary:</b></td><td><div class="userstuff">
              <p>When things start to disappear all over the house Dior and his wife cannot understand how it is possible, is the house haunted? By a cleptomaniac ghost? It is their cat Ancalagon who finally helps them solve the mystery. <br/>This story is linked to Rogercat's stories. Merry christmas, i hope you will like this sille little tale.</p>
            </div></td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Relationships:</b></td><td>Dior Eluchíl/Nimloth of Doriath</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Comments:</b></td><td>4</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Kudos:</b></td><td>6</td></tr>

</table>

<a name="section0001"><h2>A summer mystery</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Author's Note:</b><ul class="associations">
      <li>For <a href="https://archiveofourown.org/users/Rogercat/gifts">Rogercat</a>.</li>



    </ul></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>The summer mystery. </p>
<p>It was a very warm day in early summer and the entire household was going to a small festival held by the local tribe of forest elves. It was tradition and had been held for Eru knew how many years and everybody was looking forwards to it. Dior and Nimloth were getting ready for the party and so were the small group of servants too. The household wasn’t that large but there were some elves living there beside the lord and lady of the house and the horses were being prepared since it was a bit too far to walk. Nimloth had picked a very nice green dress made from silk and she was very proud of it, it was not all that expensive but very special and she was rather sure that none of the other females would have anything similar. It was made by a local elleth who had specialized in creating dresses very different from the ones usually worn at court and Nimloth was really looking forwards to showing it off. Dior was finishing braiding his hair when he heard her voice from the dressing room. “Dear, have you seen my brooch?!” </p>
<p>He did frown. “Your brooch? Which one?” </p>
<p>Nimloth did stick her head out of the door. “The silvery one, shaped like leaves?” </p>
<p>He shook his head. “No? I cannot say that I have? Can’t you find it?” </p>
<p>She did look confused. “No, I can swear I left it on the top of the dresser but it isn’t there anymore?” </p>
<p>Dior shrugged. “It has probably slipped down behind it, I can check it out when we return but we have to hurry dear, the horses are waiting.” </p>
<p>Nimloth let out a frustrated scoff. “But I wanted that brooch, it goes so well with my dress. Ah never mind, I have a green one here, with peridots, it looks great too” </p>
<p>She came from the room and looked amazing as always and they got to the yard and left for the festival. Nimloth didn’t think more about the brooch and as they returned the next morning they were too tired to think about moving the heavy dresser and so the whole thing was forgotten. </p>
<p>Nobody thought about the brooch for weeks, until one evening when the kitchen maid did approach Nimloth looking a bit odd. Nimloth did frown and the maid did make a grimace. “My lady, there is a thing…” </p>
<p>Nimloth tilted her head. “A thing? Are you out of firewood again?” </p>
<p>The maid shook her head with some vigour. “No my lady, we were polishing the silver yesterday and now we cannot find five of the small silver spoons, the ones with the Doriathrin crest on them?” </p>
<p>Nimloth blinked. “Five? Are you sure they haven’t been misplaced? The cook often places things in the wrong drawer after they have been washed?” </p>
<p>The maid shook her head. “No, we have checked the entire kitchen, every nook and cranny. They are gone” </p>
<p>Nimloth felt a bit confused, there were no thieves in Valinor, the elves simply didn’t steal stuff and she remembered the missing brooch. “It is not such a huge thing dear, its only five spoons and I never liked them anyhow. They will probably show up again, in some unexpected spot. Don’t worry about it” </p>
<p>The maid didn’t look all that convinced but she did curtsey and left and Nimloth shook her head. It was a rather large property since they after all were royalty and even their tendency to favour a simple lifestyle was sometimes not enough to avoid the pressure which followed being who they were. She did make a note of it in her diary and went on with her day.<br/>
Then two days later she and Dior were having some slight fun in the pools, they were alone there now for a few days and tried to make the best of it and the pool was a very nice place to spend the time now for it was very warm indeed. When they did leave the water Dior found that one of his rings had gone missing. They searched his clothes and the pool and the floor and found nothing and now they both started to wonder if their house was somehow haunted, by a thieving ghost. </p>
<p>The next thing that happened was that Elured and Elurin came to visit and one morning Elured couldn’t find his belt buckle, it had been left on a chair in front of his bed and it had gone missing as they slept, they hadn’t heard or seen anything. At all!</p>
<p>From time to time their cat Ancalagon would stay within the house for a few days, even in summer. It was cooler inside than outside now in the heat and with the huge amount of hair the cat did prefer to seek out the shadows. They were both very fond of the giant fluffball and the cat had proved to be very useful on several occasions, he was large enough to intimidate those not used to him and Dior was in special glad that Eärendil didn’t like the cat. It kept him away from the property most of the time. Dior had never really seen eye to eye with his son in law and he would often praise the cat and feed him some extra treats when Eärendil left after a short visit. </p>
<p>Then a ceremonial dagger did disappear all of a sudden and the guard who owned it swore that it had vanished within five minutes. He had taken it out of the sheath to polish it and left for a couple of minutes and when he did return it was gone. And the door had been closed too. Nimloth did really start to believe that this place was somehow haunted. </p>
<p>The summer was very nice and Ancalagon did often leave in the evening and spend the night outside and they would often find the remains of the cat’s unfortunate victims in the morning, usually deposited on the top of the stairs leading up to the main entrance. Dior did almost step in the guts of a vole one morning and Nimloth had the unfortunate pleasure of finding the head of a rat neatly placed on her pillow. She did joke about it and said that if there was house ghost it had to be careful so the cat didn’t catch it too. </p>
<p>But stuff kept disappearing, jewellery, buckles, napkin rings…The ellon responsible for the stable was ready to pull his hair out for there wasn’t a single nail left when he was to change the shoes of the horses. Equipment did disappear, some small figurines made from silver which Nimloth had gotten from a friend did vanish into thin air. They had no idea of what this was. </p>
<p>Elrond and Celebrian did visit for a week later in the summer and they lost two rings, a necklace and some earrings and the doors were closed the entire time. Not even Elrond was able to find any clues as to what this did mean. Nimloth was starting to worry that people would shun the place, thinking that whatever this was would rob them.<br/>
The only thing they did notice was that Ancalagon at times would stop in front of the doors and make these odd chattering noises, as if he was trying to imitate some sort of animal. Dior did suggest that there could be some sort of animal sneaking off with their belongings? Maybe a racoon? </p>
<p>But there were no doors left open, and the walls were solid and without holes. There were only small windows in the bedrooms, and they were way up there along the ceiling and rather narrow.  Nobody could climb up there without a ladder and a person would most certainly get stuck. Besides, the wall was very smooth, not even a gecko would be able to climb it.<br/>
The disappearances did continue, small things did go missing and it couldn’t be just a coincidence. And nothing did reappear, that was the strangest things. As Dior said it, anything which hasn’t been stolen or burned should reappear sooner or later and nothing did. They started locking down everything of value and kept an eye on the doors and everybody who came to visit. The other elves living in the area didn’t have this type of problem at all and it was all so very odd.<br/>
Then one day in early autumn Dior was on his way from the library to the yard when he heard Ancalagon yowl and scratch at the door, he was usually sleeping in the bedroom with them now and Dior did shake his head. “No Anca, we aren’t going to bed yet, it is too early for that” </p>
<p>The cat yowled again and scratched at the door, with some vigour. Dior was almost getting irritated, the claws did leave quite a mark on the wooden door. He was bending down to push the cat away when he heard a clear voice from within the room. “Damnation…fuckety-fuck” </p>
<p>He blinked, there was someone in there? A burglar? A thief? He took a deep breath, not sure about what to do. He was alone, and if this was somebody dangerous? He had often encountered people who were less than pleased with the way he had ruled back in Doriath and some people do hold a grudge rather well, and make it thrive too.<br/>
He heard something falling onto the floor and then some mumbling, there was someone there, no doubt about it. He did lock the door silently before he ran into the yard. The stable worker was there busy with training a colt and Dior did whisper to him. “ Failar, come quick. There is somebody in the bedroom!”</p>
<p>Failar did look confused. “What?” </p>
<p>Dior whispered again. “I heard someone swearing, and something fell to the floor, I heard a thud” </p>
<p>Failar grasped a hayfork after having tethered the colt and did sneak back into the house after Dior. They didn’t make a sound and Dior did carefully unlock the door. Failar did take a deep breath and they burst in through the door as one. The room was empty, not a sign of anybody in there, but one of the small perfume bottles Nimloth kept on her dresser was on the floor. She was not at home at the moment and Dior placed it where it did belong, but where was the person he had heard speaking? There were nobody there. Failar did check under the bed, in the closets and he didn’t see any signs of an intruder. Ancalagon did run all over sniffing like mad so there had to have been something there? Failar did scratch his head. “You have a very powerful ghost here, if it is a ghost” </p>
<p>Dior felt utterly confused. “I swear to Eru, I did hear someone speak, swear even!”</p>
<p>Failar just sighed. “I do not doubt you my lord, something odd is going on here” </p>
<p>Dior told Nimloth of the incident when she returned home and they were starting to get a wee bit worried. Should they ask the local avarin shaman to visit them, just to see that there weren’t any malevolent spirits present? Two days later one of the kitchen maidens came running into the yard clutching her skirts and screaming that there was someone in the larder, and that she had heard the person calling her a “Fat slut” </p>
<p>Nimloth calmed the elleth down and the elleth said that she hadn’t seen who it was but she heard something falling and then she heard the voice. She had just turned and ran, didn’t dare to face whatever it was. Dior checked the larder and there wasn’t anybody there, at all. The only entrance beside the door was a small hatch up along the ceiling and it was open but nobody could enter through that narrow opening.<br/>
It was a mystery and one which was driving them up the walls at times. Things kept disappearing and they kept hearing somebody using foul language and yet there weren’t anybody in the rooms when they dared to check. Dior was feeling that he was failing his responsibility as the man of the house, he was supposed to protect his family and home damn it and this was making them all go mad. </p>
<p>But the mystery did finally come to a rather shocking conclusion and it was Ancalagon who was the one who did help them solve it. The cat had been sleeping in a chair in Dior’s work room when it suddenly jumped straight into the air with a yowl and ran, obviously with a clear target in mind. Dior shouted to Nimoth and she came and they followed the cat to the guest room at the back of the house. It wasn’t in use that often but it was always kept ready and now there was faint clatter in there and they could both hear someone shouting. “Damn it, damnations. “</p>
<p>Ancalagon was clawing at the  door and Dior grasped an old spear they had on the wall as a pure decoration, just in case. It was a windy day and they had closed off the windows earlier that day just to prevent them from being broken if they blew shut. Dior pushed the door open and was met with what could only be described as a snow storm. A feather pillow had been ripped apart and there were feathers everywhere. It did look rather bizarre and then they saw the culprit, it sat next to the small window which the servants dutifully had closed when the wind did pick up and thus they had prevented the thief from leaving the room.<br/>
It stared at them with beady black eyes and squaked and swore again. “Goddamn sons of orcs, ass-lickers!”</p>
<p>Dior and Nimloth were gaping, it was a raven! A huge raven which sat there with a decorative ribbon in its claws, looking frustrated. Ancalagon did hiss and the raven did cock its head and imitated it. “Shut up hairy cunt” </p>
<p>Nimloth closed the door and the raven did hiss at them and fluttered its great wings. Dior was still gaping, it was clear that the raven was used to people but who the heck had taught it such a horrible language? The raven squaked. “Let me out, let me out!”</p>
<p>Nimloth was staring at the bird. “Are you one of the ravens the dwarves did bring over?” </p>
<p>The raven did cocked his head. “Khazad-menu-Khazad-menu!”</p>
<p>Dior sighed. “And that answers the question, a dwarven raven. What in heck’s name is he doing here?” </p>
<p>Nimloth stared at the huge bird. “It must be this feathery menace which has stolen all of our stuff!” </p>
<p>Dior nodded. “I agree, it must have left the dwarven cities and ended up here” </p>
<p>Nimloth grasped a pillow case and as Dior did make a small gesture to catch its attention Nimloth managed to grasp it. It did hiss but didn’t try to peck her and they carried it with them to the yard. Failar and some of the other servants were there and they stared with huge eyes at the spectacle. “What in the name of Eru…” </p>
<p>Dior almost growled. “Here it is, the ghost. A very black and feathery one. I bet he has a nest somewhere, with all of the missing stuff” </p>
<p>One of the younger Ellyn there did lighten up. “There is an old crow’s nest in the old elm outside of the walls, should I check it out?” </p>
<p>Dior nodded. “Do it” </p>
<p>The ellon sprinted off and brought a bag with him and before long he did return, the bag was so full it almost ruptured. “Look, that goddamn bird had an entire dragon’s hoard up there”</p>
<p>It was everything from jewellery to nails and the raven did cackle. “Hoard, hoard, great hoard!”</p>
<p>Nimloth stared at the raven and it didn’t try to free itself from her grip. “It is tame, that is beyond doubt. Why did it settle down here?” </p>
<p>Dior shrugged. “I have no idea, but we cannot keep it, it will keep stealing everything” </p>
<p>Ancalagon was sitting there, staring at the raven with huge golden eyes and the raven cawed and did cluck at the cat. “Fat fucker, fat fucker, kitty kitty aaawwwkkkk” </p>
<p>Nimloth got a strange expression on her face, Dior knew it just too well, she had an idea. “Know what dear, I think we should keep him. Now we do know who’s responsible when things do disappear and you know, those arrogant and pious old sindar and vanyar who tend to show up here from time to time? They won’t listen to us but I bet they will listen to this one” </p>
<p>Dior stared at her, the idea was infernal. The sindar wanted him to claim his birth right since they believed that they could manipulate him into ruling in a way which would benefit them and the vanyar didn’t think that the marriage between him and Nimloth was valid since he wasn’t full blooded elf and way younger than her. The language of this raven would send them running off screaming for sure. Dior started to smile, a devious smile which did match his wife’s. “’Then I have one condition my love” </p>
<p>Nimloth frowned. “Okay? what?” </p>
<p>Dior grinned” I want to name it” </p>
<p>Nimloth tilted her head. “Alright, what name do you have in mind?” </p>
<p>Dior chuckled. “Smaug, what else? He is a hoarder after all” </p>
<p>Nimloth broke down in laughter and Ancalagon did tilt his head and looked at the raven with some curiosity “Mrrrrrr?” </p>
<p>The newly named Smaug stared at the cat. “What’s yer looking at ye mangy piece of fur?” </p>
<p>Dior coughed. “It is perfect, two “dragons” to protect us from the idiots out there and look at them, aren’t they a match made in heaven?” </p>
<p>Nimloth did roll her eyes as Smaug crouched down and shat, hitting Ancalagon straight on the head. The cat hissed. “Yeah, in heaven for sure. But you clean up after him”</p>
<p>Dior did take the bird and it did perch on his arm, looking rather smug. “Sure. No problem. Come now, I have some venison and we have a huge pidgeon coop, he will like it there” </p>
<p>The raven was swiftly housed in the coop and he and Ancalagon formed a sort of truce which was only broken when Smaug tried to shit on Ancalagon and Ancalagon on his side tried to catch the raven for lunch, at least it kept things interesting for the entire household. Dior had to run around with a wet cloth cleaning droppings, which the raven loved to leave at all the barely reachable spots within the house and the servants was shocked by the language the bird did use.<br/>
But he did serve his purpose. The next time somebody tried to sweet talk Dior into entering the political life again they were chased off by a hissing cat and a swearing raven and Dior did reward them both with a huge piece of tender steak. It was no problem wiping shit when they had two such formidable protectors.</p>
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